Plush cabins are the new battleground for car makers.

Sunday 7: Most stylish car interiors

Plush cabins are the new battleground for car makers.

Sunday 7: Most stylish car interiors

20 May 2018Alex Misoyannis

It is what is inside that really matters.

Often, too much focus is directed on the exterior styling of a car. While an owner may choose to spend hours looking at his prized possession he or she is more than likely to spend vastly more time strapped into the driver's seat.

Car makers, especially luxury marques, have in recent times been plying additional resources into developing the most plush and technology-savvy car interiors.

The German prestige car brands offer some of the best combinations of premium materials with futuristic cockpits, while South Korean brand Hyundai offers up style and comfort at an affordable price.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, however, here are a few interiors that have caught Drive's eye.

Audi A6

The Ingolstadt-based car maker's new executive sedan is not due to arrive down under until early 2019, but the mid-size luxury sedan will offer one of the best interiors around when it comes to market.

What becomes immediately apparent when you view the new A6 interior is a distinct lack of dials and buttons which have all been replaced by digital screens.

Analogue instruments and puny MMI displays have been replaced by the German brand's outstanding 12.3-inch digital instrument display that shows all the car's data. The centre of the dash is dominated by a duo of stacked touchscreens, a 10.1-inch top screen which controls the infotainment and navigation while an 8.6-inch bottom screen manages the climate, comfort and text input functions.

The four-ring brand has always had a penchant for stylish and classy cabins, but the new A6 raises the bar far beyond its rivals not just because of its futuristic displays but also the widespread use of top-notch materials.

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The British marque's latest mid-size SUV follows the Range Rover mantra exactly, a stylish but conservative exterior with a plush interior that can be customised a myriad of ways via options.

As with a car that wears a premium price tag, the Velar's interior highlight is the SUV brand's Touch Pro Duo infotainment set-up. The system utilises to 10-inch touchscreens similar to the upcoming Audi A6.

The upper one handles radio, phone, navigation and other media functions, while the lower one controls climate settings and the Terrain Response off-road system.

There are two dials beside the lower screen which are fully digital and change the temperature, off-road mode and more depending what app you’re in.

Range Rover has also made the steering wheel controls entirely electronic and use special switches underneath, so that they only activate when you put your finger on them.

Peugeot 3008

French and style are synonymous with each other.

The automaker's mid-size family SUV doesn't have the same prestige value as some of the other Europeans, but the high-rider does come with a nifty cabin

Peugeot's mid-size SUV has pushed the boundaries with its latest 'i-Cockpit' which consists of high-mounted 12.3-inch digital instrument display, which it is designed that way to make the driver look over the steering wheel to see the instruments not through, a centre mounted 8.0-inch touchscreen and a hipster little two-spoke squarish steering wheel the equivalent of on-trend little cat-eye sunglasses.

The centre console uses a mix of digital and analogue buttons, including a row of metal switches that make you feel like you’re the commander of a spaceship.

Hyundai i30 SR Premium

Hyundai's award winning small car - which was crowned the 2017 Drive Car of the Year - offers champagne quality on a beer budget.

The interior follows the sporty theme set by the perky 150kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with a number of styling features. Splashes of colour throughout the cabin including red seatbelt touches, dashboard, steering wheel stripe and contrast stitching on the seats, steering wheel and armrest that is combined with sports seats and alloy sports pedals.

An uncluttered dash that features minimal buttons and dials give the i30 a clean layout with the car's touchscreen nicely incorporated, too. Hyundai's infotainment system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard, systems that cost extra on all BMWs.

Mazda MX-5 GT

The Mazda MX-5 is known more for its cute-as-a-button exterior looks that its cabin presentation.

And to the casual observer there might not be too much to write home about, and that is the beauty. A simplistic cabin that has all the essential, albeit in a rather snug package.

The Japanese brand's iconic pint-sized sports car has always embraced a less-is-more philosophy with the aim of making the car as engaging to drive as possible rather than outright tyre-frying performance.

The dash features three analogue dials for all your essential information along with a touchscreen that is used to access all the infotainment and navigation functions.

Besides a few steering wheel buttons and dash controls the cabin is uncluttered with the car's round air vents complimenting the exterior cuteness, while soft-touch materials and a leather steering wheel add an air of class.

Volvo XC60

A modern day Volvo is a very nice place to spend some time these days. The Swedish car maker is bringing Scandinavian minimalist design principles to its new vehicles, with the new handsome Volvo XC60 exemplifying the latest styling language.

The devil is in the detail with the XC60, little touches like the twist-to-operate starter button add a sense of quality and luxury to a cabin that is well throughout and presented in top-shelf materials. The SUV's digital instrument display provides the latest technology while the iPad-style central display is framed nicely by two vertical air vents.

Again an uncluttered layout helps accentuate the car's quality materials from the leather upholstery to plush carpeting.

Mercedes-Benz A-Class

The upcoming fourth-generation A-Class is due to arrive locally in 2019. And this little hatch would look quite at home at fashion week.

A standout feature for the new small car is the German brand's MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) infotainment system. MBUX pairs online services such as weather and news with an intuitive and simple user interface that is tailored to you, based on your driving habits.

The next-level infotainment system features a nifty voice assistant that understands natural dialogue and conversation, activated by saying ‘Hey Mercedes’ – for instance, saying ‘Hey Mercedes it’s hot in here’ will make the air-conditioning colder while ‘Hey Mercedes I’m starving’ will find the nearest eateries. MBUX isn’t the only standout feature of the new A-Class – the materials are premium, as you would expect in a Mercedes-Benz.

While two 10.25-inch displays running lengthways along the dashboard dominate the interior.